Mike's Notes
I wrote this to answer a great question from a friend. As a growing community of supporters forms around Pipi, many questions arise.
Thank you for the question, Alex.
Resources
- https://www.blog.ajabbi.com/p/pipi.html
- https://wiki.ajabbi.com/eng/9/
- https://wiki.ajabbi.com/eng/9/primative-engine.html
- https://foundation.ajabbi.com/eng/9/
- https://research.ajabbi.com/eng/9/
- https://developer.ajabbi.com/eng/9/report/roadmap.html
- https://www.blog.ajabbi.com/2024/12/reimagining-life-emergent-complexity.html
- https://handbook.ajabbi.com/eng/9/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream
Some reflections on Pipi
Mike is the inventor and architect of Pipi and the founder of Ajabbi.
Origin
Pipi originated in 1997 with version 1, and 28 years later, it is version 9. You can read about its working history here.
Today
Pipi 9 has become like a CNC machine built to automatically create socially useful SaaS (cloud software) applications for large, complex systems that are as simple as possible for people to administer and use.
These potential systems include health, education, public transport, drinking water, sewerage, and electrical power.
Free Open Software
One day, those applications, including the databases, code, and HTML, will be freely available on GitHub without reuse restriction. Unlike Pipi, they will use an MCV architecture. Reusing existing frameworks for Pipi to build the applications may be possible, including using different languages and database programs, such as CFML, PHP, Java, Python, MS SQL, Postgres, and Oracle.
Pipi Platform
Pipi (the CNC machine) is huge (thousands of tables), highly complex, with autonomous systems, and self-managing. It will remain closed-source and hidden.
Documentation
Pipi generates its own self-documentation at:
Example
Please look at a representative web page for one of the engines.
If you go to
There is a list of tables that is made up. Eventually, there will be a real list using alias names and real descriptions.
View Windows
You will see a series of half-empty iFrames halfway down, e.g., Fibre Connect.
These will eventually act as a view window into some hidden live process, such as a moving chart, log, or code generation. There will be many more windows to come.
Applications
Eventually, logged-on users will create new no-code applications by configuring Pipi's parameters via web forms, importing ontologies, creating plugins, connecting to APIs, etc. However, data and code constraints are imposed on Pipi at a deeper, hidden level to restrict such applications to those of broad social benefit, e.g., health, education, public transport, etc.
Security
I believe Pipi could be a powerful tool misused by crooks involved in drug dealing, child pornography, social media bullying, privacy invasion, cybercrime, terrorism and other horrible things. I am not going to let that happen. The only way to do this is by restricting access to Pipi itself.
Shared Model
The underlying model behind each application is shared. Any feature a user creates is automatically shared with all users as an available option. Similar to Wikipedia, edits will follow a community process. This excludes customisation, which is a private matter.
I have built and will build multiple applications based on Len Silverstons's Universal Data Models to kick-start this community process.
Accounts
Alongside the freely available SaaS applications on GitHub, paid accounts will also be available for organisations with significant, complex needs, where Pipi manages the installation and updates to the same applications. Think of it as a superwizard process.
An example of this might be part of a national health system.
Four types of accounts have been created and will be available with different features, costs, permissions, roles, and database access.
- Individual (free)
- SME (usage-based, tenanted shared database, similar to Xero)
- DevOps (usage-based, for developers to develop and administer Enterprise accounts)
- Enterprise (usage-based, highly configurable, dedicated databases, requires a DevOps account to provide support)
- Pipi (autonomous, super admin)
Costs
This usage-based income will cover cloud hosting costs, robust infrastructure, external services (legal and accounting), and other necessary expenses to provide excellent, reliable service.
Foundation
Any surplus will go to a future Ajabbi Foundation (similar to the Linux or Apache Foundations) to support user groups, publish books for developers and users, run conferences, provide training, etc.
Open Research
Some funds will also support a future Ajabbi Research institution (a bit like Microsoft Research) to look at more profound questions around complexity, emergence, science, mathematics, dialectics and nature using computers and ways to expand Pipi's usefulness for humanity that may be discovered.
There is an initial list of such people who it would be good to work with in future;
Some activities could be providing research grants, organising conferences, and publishing books.
And throughout this, all human interactions with Pipi will be via a simple web interface.
Respecting People
To protect Pipi from the Cancel Culture and other self-serving forms of privileged parasitism, we should have open books so every cent is accountable and write an open handbook so everyone can access the same information and express their opinions. This is a first draft.
Attitude First
In the words of Dr Martin Luther King in Selma 1963.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!"
Summary
This project will never involve investors or private equity firms. It is a self-funding, 100% public good effort to make great SaaS software for complex systems available to everyone at a low cost, regardless of where they live, who they are or their language and beliefs.
You are most welcome to be involved.
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